Dried fruit grower downplays Angas Park closure

A Riverland dried fruit grower does not believe the closure of fruit processor Angas Park's South Australian operations will have much of an effect on local growers.

Phil Sims from Renmark says the industry is much smaller than it was in the past and there are very few large-scale dried fruit growers left in the region.

Mr Sims says it is disappointing that the company will no longer be processing in the state but not surprising.

"It's a sad thing that it is closing and more sad for the employees who are going to lose their jobs but as far as the company itself goes the support it's been giving growers for the past hasn't been encouraging them to want to supply their fruit to the company," he said.

He says while it is a loss for those who were working at Angas Park's Renmark plant, growers will not be significantly affected.

"I don't think it will have any impact at all really," he said.

"There are no really great big growers now as there were in the past. We have been forced to produce less and there are, interestingly enough, quite a few people out there who are wanting to buy dried fruit, so if people look around there's still a reasonable market for it."

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